The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-07-13
FOND OF MUSIC.
THE INFLUENCE OF SWEET
SOUNDS UPON ANIMALS.
How Two Elephants were Charmed
and How Cats are Affected by
Music-+Dogs an Exception
Singing Fishes.

Singing Fishes.
That music has charm on the animal
creation has long been known says
Thomas J. Bowditch, in the Troy Times.
The horse is particularly charmed with
music, for
"At the shrill trunrpet'ssound he pricks his
ear."
and this fact is also illustrated by music
heard in circuses and other Equestrian
entertainments where the horse is affected
In lively and exhilarating manner by
the performances of the band, often
waltzing and prancing and keeping per-
feet time with the mhsic- The eccentric
Lord Holland, of the reign Of William
I'LL, used to give his horses weekly
concert in covered gallery especially
erected for the purpose Hemaintained
that it cheered their temper
The Arab, entertains his camel with
music songs and fairy tales, andwith the
plaintive tones of his voice.
Music is appreciated by the'elephant in
a wonderful degree, and perhaps the most
remarkable instance occurred at menag-
erie in Paris in 1865, when a concert was
given and two elephants were among the
auditors. The orchestra being. placed
out of their sight, they could not per-
ceive whence the harmony came. The
first sensation was that Of surprise; at
one moment they gazed eagerly at the
spectators; the next they Fan at their
Keeper to- caress him and seemed to in
quire what these strange sounds meant.
but at length perceiving that nothing
was amiss, they gave themselves up to-
the impressions which the music COM
municated. Each new tune seemed to-
produce change Of feeling, causing their
gestures and cries to assume an express
sion in accordance with it. But it was
still more remarkable that after a piece
had produced an agreeable effect upon
them, if it was incorrectly played, their
passions were aroused to an uncontroll-
able fury.
Dogs are affected by music, but it is
difficult to determine whether agreeably
or otherwise. Many naturalists belieTe
it to be disagreeable to them. a fact that
is strongly supported by the fact that
if left to their liberty, they generally take
flight with howls as soon as the music
reaches their ears. In 1864, "Dogg&es
that dance the morrice" were mentioned
as acting in Ben Johnson's play of "Bar-
tholomew Favne," and soon after com
pany of dancing dogs appeared at South
wark fair called the "Ball of little Dogs"
The show bill said: "You shall see one
of them, named Marquis of Gaillerdain,
whose dexterity is not to be compared; he
dances with Nine. Poncette. his mistress,
and the rest of their company, at the
sound of instruments, all of them observ-
ing so we'll the cadence that they amaze
everybody" At the close it declares
that they have danced before the queen,
keeping perfect time to the music.
Cats are said to NEW loudly on hearing
the sounds of instruments. A noted
singer of Paris once had cat possessed of
such an ability to detect mu<i al i'm
perfection that she never sang piece IN
public until she had sung it to puss, con-
fdent that she would please an audience
if her rendition was satisfactory to the
cat.
The tiny mouse is charmed by the
whistle of the Alpine herdsman, will
abide in his hut and come from its covert
to listen to his song. An officer confined
in the Bastile at Paris begged to be al
lowed to play on his flute, to soften his
confinement by it's harmonics. Shortly
afterward, when playing on his instru-
ment, he was much astonished to see a
number of mice frisking out of their
holes and many spiders descending from
their webs and congregating round him,
while he continued the music. When
ever he ceased they DISPERSED whenever
he played again they reappearedi:: He
soon had far more numerous audience,
amounting in all to about hundred
mice and spiders. In the Magazine of
Natural History" 1885, it is re:ated how
the steward of ship, by playing some
lively tunes on flute, bagged twenty
rats in about three hours.
Among reptiles, the lizard shows, per-
haps the most remarkable susceptibility to-
musical influences, lying first on his back,
then on his side and anon on his stom-
ach, as if desiring to expose every part
of his body to the effect of the sonorous
fluid which is so delightful to him. he
appears to be very refined in his taste,
soft voices and plaintive airs being his
favorites while hoarse singing and noisy
music disgust him.
Birds are the true musicians of the an
imal kingdom. They have genuine
talent to learn and appreciate musical
notes and melodies. The mocking bird
is able to initiate all the minor sounds
of nature. In his superb rendering of
the song of the thrush he will pause to
mimic the bark of dog, the crow
ing of cock or the crcaking of a wheel
barrow. A stranger in the South would
suppose that magnolia grove was alive
with songsters, in which, in reality, was
but single mocking bird. The song of
the brown thrush, in the opinion OF
Audubon, is unsurpassed, except ny the
mocking bird. 1t pours out its melody
without any regard whatever to tie sci
entifc properties of music, and the result
is perfection. :.
Some fishes sing. Anoted fishy vocalist
is found in the Anevent Scarus, which was
noted for the powers of its vocal organs:
Pliny embalmed it in verse as the king of
fishes and Ovid and Ossian have also
sung its praise in song. s'eleucus stated,
with all good faith, that it was the
only fish that ever slept, and. Elian
bestowed upon it the honor of being